The river press., 1887-12-07
THE RIVER PRESS
"TREY DESERVE WHAT THEY HAVE
ACHIEVED"

IN co.nmsnting on the railroad celebra
ton at Helena, Capt. Mills says in the
New Northwest:
The event was something Helena
nsrht well celebrate. 1t gives her com
petitiye railroad transportation, II there is
anv such thing in these days Of pools; but
more than that it makes her railroad
center from which diverge numerous lines
that will not only be tributary to her Il
nancially and commercially, but give her
status as the railroad center Of Montana
Al sall roads lead to Rome 50 practically
An Montana roads now lead to Helena
Her citizens have brayed adversely and
CONQUERED fate: have thrice built city
where A CITY had no business to be. save
for the enterprise, indomitable pluck and
united energies and public spirit OF her
people: and by these virtues they deserve
what they have achieved.
We agree with Capt. Mills that the citi-
Zens of Helena deserve what they have
achieved; also that they are indebtee on
ly to their own ''indomitable pluck, united
energy and public spirit" for the magnlh~
cent city which they have built at what
seems at first glance to be place where
q city had no business to be" But we
see nothing the matter with the location
Of the city Of Helena, save and except that
it's main business street. which was laid
out III early mining days is down
in the gulch where it was most convenient
to the miners. 1t was the same with all
mining towns. No one ever dreamed IN
those early days that Helena would ever
grow to be city Of it's present grand pro
portions. The history Of cities is that
they grow in some very uncouth places.
Pretty locations do not make prospero us
cities; if so we would have superabun-
dance Of them. The reason of Helena's
steady growth from a mining camp to the
commercial metropolis of Montana rested
in the fact that she was the
nearest point in the mining re-
gion to the Missouri river,
which gave her decided advantage over
all competitors. Had the only navigable
river been 14O miles south of Virginia
City. she would have remained the great
commercial point Had the Columbia
seen navigable to within 140 miles of
Deer Lodge she could have won that
proud position. Had the Yellowstone
been decent navigable stream, Bozeman
would have been the place. In these
statements we assume that there was only
one navigable stream to penetrate the
mountain region. 1t SO happened that
Helena occupied that favored position,
and her merchants and other business
men had the brains to know where their
advantage rested, and they possessed the
energy and perseverance to use 1t for all
that it was worth. And how much the
Missouri river has been worth to Montana
generally, and Helena in particular, it
would be difficult to determine We be-
Iieve that it will not be disputed by any
fairminded, candid old-time resident of
the territory that the Missouri river was
the only hope of Montana when the
palmy days of placer mining came to an
abrupt end. Had it not been for this
grand artery Of commerce through which
flows the very life blood of the continent
it is a question whether the early mining
population could have sustained itself af-
ter the cream had been skinned from the
rich placers. We contend that the Mis-
souri, river was Helena's great trump
card" and she always played it well when
the game was at its crisis. In 1879, when
the Utah Northern took the Helena and
other shipments from the Missouri river
it had to give rate that would compete
with the river. When the Northern Pa
cific came in she had to respect the river
rates just the same. By the river Helena
always conquered until she had distanced
ali rivals and stood in position to dictate
to railroads.
There was one mistake Helena made
that she will never cease to regret and
which her long headed business men have
since often acknowledged. She did not
build the Helena ana Benton railroad
when the opportunity offered That
chance will never come to Helena again.
In those days Benton was an isolated
little burg; transfer point for river
freights, and an Indian trading post. But
conditions have changed. Benton is no
longer isolated. She has railroad as
well as the river, and she is the only city
III all this great northwestern country that
has those dual advantages. She no longer
trades with Indians, but with wealthy
sheep, cattle and horse owners and farm
ers. She has the lowest freight rates of
any city in the territory, which rate she
will always command because she has the
river at her door to enforce It, And Ben
ton in time not very distant either will
sell inland points goods. 1t seems strange,
don't it? Benton sell Helena and Butte
goods! Well, that's just what will happen
some OF these fine days, and when it